You may have to present your social media passwords before getting U.S. visa – Homeland Security Chief, John Kelly

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 07: Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly (C) prepares to testify to the House Committee on Border Security on Capitol Hill on February 7, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Kelly spoke about border security and President Trump’s recent refugee ban.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly has said that in order to tighten security in the country, visa applicants, especially those from seven Muslim-majority countries that were temporarily banned from entering the U.S may be required to provide their social media passwords.

He made this known to a hearing of the Homeland Security Committee.

“We’re looking at some enhanced or some additional screening.

We may want to get on their social media, with passwords.

It’s very hard to truly vet these people in these countries, the seven countries. But if they come in, we want to say, what websites do they visit, and give us your passwords. So we can see what they do on the internet

These are the things we are thinking about. But over there we can ask them for this kind of information and if they truly want to come to America, then they will cooperate. If not, next in line,” Kelly said.

Kelly stressed that no decision had been made, but tighter screening would be implemented, even if it means longer delays for awarding U.S. visas to visitors.

President Trump‘s immigration ban on the seven Muslim-majority countries has since been suspended following a court order.

Kelly regretted that the order may have been rolled out too quickly.

“The thinking was to get it out quick so potentially people coming here to harm us would not take advantage,” of a delay, he said.

He said that it wasn’t a ban on Muslims as critics have charged, but a “temporary pause” on immigrants and visitors from countries about whose residents the U.S. can’t access solid information.

He defended the order and sought to take responsibility for the chaotic rollout, saying the confusion was “all on me.”

“Going forward, I would have certainly taken some time to inform the Congress, and certainly that’s something I’ll do in the future,” he said.

Deleting things on your system doesn’t automatically translate into deletion from the service providers’ servers.
On the other hand, I wonder how they intend to deal with people with multiple accounts – one sanitized and the others not. Unless they have access to the internet devices these visa applicants use, it seems like there’s a loophole waiting to be exploited.

No America, people arent that crazy about you anymore. People have learnt their leasons. No 1 you arent the safestest country to live in. 2 you are a hidden racist country who pretends alot. 3 peopke have borrow themselves brain not to sell their land just to gv birth in america. Students have found snother route. So save your visa. Soon you will be down down down.

this is dumber than dumb. and you think they will give you the password? don’t you think they’ll say they don’t have any social media accounts? or you don’t realise they can form fake accounts? Not to talk of the invasion of privacy… d-u-m-b move!